Why should Dutch football fans be excited for 2019?

2018 has brought many exhilarating football moments to fans of the Eredivisie and the Dutch national team. For example, we can look fondly back upon Ronald Koeman’s rejuvenation of the Netherlands and another fascinating Eredivisie title race yielding several new world class Dutch talents.

Ajax are the only side still flying the flag for the Netherlands in European competition this season. Can they beat a below-par Real Madrid [currently 4th in La Liga] to go one step further in the Champions League?

This current Ajax side is one of the strongest since the turn of the century and it’s essential they keep fighting on a continental stage in order for the Eredivisie to maintain its automatic Champions League qualifying spot and five European tickets for its clubs in the league.

Eredivisie, Eerste Divisie & Dutch Cup winners

May 2019

Numerous dramatic moments await in May in domestic club football. The Eredivisie title race is likely to go right to the wire; PSV and Ajax are separated by only two points at the Winter break after nearly faultless first halves to the campaign. Ajax v PSV on the 31st March is sure to take a telling role in the destination of the Eredivisie ‘schaal’ come May.

The Dutch Cup final is also a momentous occasion for Dutch football fans and the Eerste Divisie promotion race always brings jubilation and frustration in equal measure.

Nations League semi-final6/6/19 – Netherlands v England

Arguably the biggest match in the Dutch national team’s history since the 2014 World Cup awaits on the 6th June. Ronald Koeman’s fantastic 2018 in charge of Oranje has seen fortunes drastically change for the better – his praises should be sung very highly.

England should expect a very different game than the one played just under a year ago which was Koeman’s first game in charge, a lacklustre 0-1 home defeat. An exciting night awaits in Portugal as the Dutch hope to let the world know they are back with a vengeance as a footballing powerhouse. The final on the 9th could be another date to add to your diary…

Also watch out for the Euro 2020 qualifiers, which begin in March and continue through the Autumn.

Women’s World Cup 11/6/19, 15/16/19, 20/6/19

It promises to be quite the June for Dutch football fans, with Netherlands Women hoping to be the first Dutch senior side to lift the World Cup, to follow up their 2017 Euros success.

The three group matches are against New Zealand, Cameroon and Canada (on the dates specified above).

At the moment, the Netherlands are fourth favourites to win the tournament behind the USA, Germany and hosts France.

New Dutch talents

All fans of Dutch football are captivated by the country’s ‘conveyor belt’ of young talent that always streams through at club level. We have all enjoyed witnessing the rise of Steven Bergwijn, Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt to Dutch national team debuts in recent times.

Who is next? All will soon be revealed in 2019! It promises to be an exciting year ahead for Dutch football fans and for Football-Oranje.com!

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I'm a physics student from the UK and a massive Eredivisie fan. Started watching after being inspired by the Netherlands national team after the 2010 World Cup. Wilfred Bouma also has a big part to play in my initial keen interest in the league, being a Villa fan meant I wanted to keep track of my favourite player.